Mrs. Lasker, I believe you want to begin today by
talking about the National Science
Foundation legislation, did you not?

Lasker:

Yes, Mr. Mason. The National Science Foundation
bill was introduced by Senators Kilgore
and Magnusson as a result of the report
by Vannevar Bush called Science: The Endless
Frontier, which had
been done at the suggestion of President
Roosevelt and as a result of the
interest of Mrs. Anna Rosenberg, when
she received my memorandum saying that
Federal research in science would cease
with the end of the war unless some
legislation were introduced to continue
the work of Vannevar Bush's
committee.

Q:

She was a very fortunate ally in this work,
wasn't she?

Lasker:

Oh, yes, she certainly was, and a great friend.
At the time she was very close to
President Roosevelt and knew everybody
in the Administration well.

Q:

Was this a basic interest of her or was it
something that you inspired her to?

Lasker:

No, she really wasn't basically interested in it,
but she was in favor of it without being
preoccupied with the area of